


Sympathy Pain

by thenakednymph



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-21 23:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6061918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenakednymph/pseuds/thenakednymph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sole picks up on Hancock's chronic pain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sympathy Pain

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a person headcanon that ghouls suffer from chronic pain. And life experience because sympathy pain SUCKS.

Sole knows sympathy pain when she feels it, so when the ache creeps into her joints making them feel hot and swollen, she stifles a groan. Not now, not today. She's exhausted and sore, her body already aching and she nearly stumbles as the stiffness sets in, catching herself on an old telephone pole.

They've finally reached Sanctuary and she wants nothing more than to lie down and never get up again but her bed might as well be miles away.

Hancock shuffles to a stop beside her, giving her an odd look as she draws a ragged breath. “You all right there doll?”

Sole shakes her head and waves him away. “Yeah, just...need a minute.” She hopes it'll only last a minute. The ones that go on and on are the worst. She spends the minutes agonizing over how long the pain will last before it vanishes as quickly as it came. It isn't usually this bad, but with all the other aches compounding on top of one another she feels like the tin man caught in the rain. Her joints feel rusted and seized and it's all she can do to keep from falling over.

She sags against the pole, wiping at the sweat beading across her upper lip. “Hancock,” she pants, studying his face. “Do you have chronic pain?”

The question catches him off guard and he blinks at her dumbly. She doesn't know if he'll tell her if he does, but her empathy doesn't lie and it has to be coming from somewhere.

Hancock shrugs, reaching for a cigarette. “Yeah,” he drawls, “side effect of burning, but it ain't been so bad as of late.” He takes a drag and Sole nods, wincing at the headache throbbing behind her eyes.

“Yeah, that's because I've been pulling on it,” she grinds out, waving a hand at him to come closer. She grips his arm for support making an effort to stand.

He makes a face, looking down at her. “You been doin' what now?”

Sole takes as deep a breath as she can muster and shuffles forward, leaning heavily against Hancock. “Pulling. I'm an empath,” she explains. “I'm capable of feeling the pain and emotions of others. I can pull on it, taking it from someone else, easing what their feeling at my own expense.

“Back in the war, years before the vault my husband broke his leg. It always used to ache in the cold, leaving him with a limp from time to time when the weather got bad. I used to go through that pain with him or experience more acutely.” She smiles wanly at Hancock. “Turns out I'm doing the same with you.”

Hancock's quiet as they make their way through the settlement towards Sole's house. Several of the inhabitants greet them as they pass and Sole makes brief conversation in spite of the pain. It gives Hancock time to ponder what she's said.

“What's it feel like?” he ventures and Sole tries to mentally shuffle through the layers of her own exhaustion and discomfort to find Hancock's.

“Stiffness, like my joints are swollen or arthritic. My bones ache like they've all been broken and refused and my muscles feel like they're on fire. But that might be the deathclaw we fought talking.”

Hancock nods solemnly. “Yeah, sounds about right.” He smirks but some part of him is deeply afraid it's not just sympathetic pain. He thinks maybe the rads have had an adverse affect on her, that she's becoming a ghoul herself. The thought leaves him cold and he hopes it's just paranoia.

“You go through this every day?” she asks, horrified.

Hancock shrugs. “The chems help.”

“I can imagine,” she mumbles as Hancock shuts the door behind them and helps her to bed.

“Ugh, what I wouldn't give for a bubble bath right now,” she mutters, relieved to be lying down.

Hancock hovers beside the bed, not sure what to do. “Anythin' I can do?”

Sole shakes her head. “It should wear off soon. Usually does, just...keep me company?”

Hancock huffs a laugh. “Ain't got any place better to be.” He frowns as Sole winces, scooting across the bed to make room for him. She shifts, trying to find a position to ease the pain but without much luck. He sinks carefully down beside her, his hip bumping up against her thigh on the narrow bed.

“Can't you...turn it off or something?” It feels like a stupid thing to say, but Sole only smiles.

“My husband used to ask me the same thing. The answer is yes, but I don't know how. Don't have anyone to teach me. So it's mostly trial and error. Until I figure it out I just learn to deal with it.”

Hancock wants to touch her, to offer comfort, apologize for inadvertently causing her pain, but he doesn't know if the contact would be welcome. He drops his hand awkwardly to the bed beside her, close enough to touch but not quite breaching the gap.

“Sorry sunshine,” he mumbles and Sole covers his hand with her own and his heart skips as she gives it a squeeze.

“Not your fault,” she says, “but thanks.”

  
  


 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I've never actually play FO4 so that's why my character is still named Sole (and is likely a name she plans to keep oddly enough), and why there might be inconsistencies wit Hancock's dialogue or character. Sorry sorry but this fic has been stuck in my head all day and wouldn't leave me alone so there you go.


End file.
